Revelation
by rubygerbils
Summary: When, one night, Chat Noir accidentally stumbles upon Marinette dancing, something awakens inside of him. Is it something special? Or is it just his imagination? Meanwhile, Marinette deals with the suddenly emerging feelings she has developed for her partner. Can they find that special someone, or will they find them?
1. Chapter 1: A Case of the Jitters

**Author's note**:

Chapters in the story may vary in length. The same word count is not guaranteed. Reviews are much appreciated. Constructive criticism even more so, since this is my first uploading any sort fiction on a public forum. Also, updates will come faster if I'm in a good mood, since I get writer's block easily.

Dedicated to my friend, who encouraged me to write fanfictions. Thank you. (And, also, you better pay up. I worked my ass off on this).

No smut, so beat it leery creepers.

Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous in any way, and, if I did, Adrien probably wouldn't be so stupid.

Also, the lyrics I used in this chapter were of the song, California by Bahari. Go check it out, its a good listen. And, _please_ do not confuse this chp for a song fic. I just used the song for plot reasons.

Please don't sue me.

* * *

**Chapter 1: A Case of the Jitters**

His eyes widened as he watched her.

He saw her hips move as she shimmied, and those shoulders. _Oh, God, those shoulders. _Did he have a thing for shoulders?

_Wow._

He gaped at her as she danced behind her bedroom window. He gulped and his Adam's apple bobbed. She threw her head back and dipped, and his mind went reeling.

Anybody looking at him might've thought he was blissing out. They also would have thought he was a creep, peeping at her like that. Seriously. Who peeps on someone in their bedroom? Certainly, creeps do, and he wasn't about to include himself in _that_ ungraceful bunch.

He was Chat Noir, for crying out loud! He had a reputation to keep as the resident half of Paris' current superhero duo.

And, currently, he was setting a _horrible_ example.

Well, the streets _were_ empty and it _was_ the middle of the night, so nobody could see him, of course. And, he _was_ hiding in a surprisingly handy spot on a roof opposite her attic bedroom, from where he had a good view of her.

But, there were _no_ excuses for his outrageously _inexcusable _behaviour. No matter how stealthy he could be.

And, not to mention, she was his classmate; his friend! He was peeping on his friend!

He had to admit, when he first noticed Marinette, he was surprised.

It was his turn to patrol that night, and he was busy leaping across roofs, relishing the wind that hit his face. He had heard music- which was _very_ unusual during the middle of the night-, and his cat ears twitched and he stopped. And, since curiosity had killed the cat, he discovered the source.

So, now, there he was. He wasn't exactly _proud_ of it, but, yeah.

He gulped when he saw her extend her head, the softest of expressions lighting her face, her eyes half-closed, a far cry from the flustered expression she usually adorned when he approached her as Adrien.

He often wondered if she was afraid of him, or even intimidated. He knew how he could induce emotions like that in people, what with him being a famous model, and his father being a prestigious fashion designer. But, she certainly didn't look nervous now.

He felt a small drool pooling under his tongue, and he swallowed it down nervously.

To be honest, the moves she was executing looked beautiful. And her form was very pretty. He knew, since he had seen numerous talented, professional dancers at events before.

He wasn't very knowledgeable about dance -he had only learnt ballroom, and the style she was dancing, he recognized, was contemporary- but he knew talent when he saw it.

He briefly wondered if she took dance classes.

Suddenly, the music stopped, and he poked his head up. His heart gave a lurch as he noticed her moving out of his line of sight.

He gave a sigh of relief as the music started back up again. It was a new track, and the volume was higher too, as he could make out the words clearly, without him straining to.

He recognized the song.

_'It's a state of mind, it's a state of grace'_

He saw her bob her head, her arm tapping against her waist, her eyes drooping closed.

_'Close your eyes, drift away'_

He saw her roll her head back, smiling as she did so. She tapped her arms along to the beat.

He noticed that she was dancing in a style more laidback than her previous. Maybe it was just the song's playful tune.

Maybe it was just him.

He wondered if this was her favourite song, judging by the exhilirant expression she wore as she danced. He liked Bahari's songs, but watching her dance like she was now, he changed his mind.

He _loved _them.

_'I can be your California, I can be your getaway'_

He watched her dance with a twisted affinity. He shot down the urge to wet his lips whenever he saw her smirk, whenever her eyes shone with telltale mischievousness.

_'I love you, but I have to warn you'_

It was getting _ridiculously _late. He knew he couldn't stay long, but he found it hard to leave. He was too entranced when watching her dance.

_'You can visit, but you cannot stay'_

The expression did him in.

She looked calm but breathless, she looked happy but contained it all in one small, little smile. And when her eyes caught the moonlight, the cyan seemed to claim him. He stifled a gasp.

The music suddenly stopped, and he stilled. He turned his head away from her and looked upward. He shifted to lay back, grunting as he did so. His head was pillowed on his bent arms, and the glittering stars that littered the sky reminded him of her galaxy of freckles.

He was surprised. He was. Undoubtedly, so. And he was sure he was blushing up a storm.

He needed to go. He needed to go home, he fervently thought, as he became absolutely adamant in not thinking about Marinette _at all. _He shifted to stand up, stretching out his sore body.

He hadn't seen anything interesting that night- sans Marinette- and he assumed Paris was safe for the night.

He heaved a big sigh, bringing his patrol to a close. He extended his baton, and leaped himself roofs upon roofs away from her. As he made his way home, he wondered how he would face Marinette the next day in class without remembering her dancing.

Unbeknownst to him, the girl in question gaped at him with wide eyes as he disappeared into the night, having finally noticed him through her bedroom window.

* * *

He had seen her.

He had seen her _dancing._

_Chat _-freaking_-_ _Noir _had seen her, Marinette, _her _dancing. In her room. In the middle of the night.

She was glad Tikki was asleep,- although, she wasn't sure how she could've fallen asleep amid all that loud music, but she had assured her, jokingly stating that she doesn't have any ears, which, now that Marinette thought about it, was _kind of _true- or he would've seen her and connected the dots!

She didn't mean any offense to her feline partner, but she wasn't ready to reveal her identity to him _just_ yet.

She wasn't sure what he was even _doing_ there. Well, yeah, she knew he was patrolling and all, but what if he had _seen _her? Dancing? In the middle of the night?

_Oh, God, this was so embarrassing._

_Marinette, _She mentally scolded herself, _We're over this already. So what if he had seen you?_

The inner Marinette was right.

She was blowing this _way_ out of proportion. She was only dancing in her room. Many people do that. In the middle of the night. Right?

_But that isn't it, is it?_

She had to admit, she had felt a secret thrill when she had found out he was watching. It was a weird feeling. She had even wondered if she was a creep for even _thinking_ that. She wondered if she had the music on too loud. Then again, Chat Noir _did _ have sensitive ears. He could've easily heard the music echoing in the quiet night. _Even _if she had her windows closed.

She was pacing her room, fuming in agitation, brow furrowed in thought.

_Why was he watching her? _

Was he judging her? Was he surprised? Was he a bad dancer, and was just observing her in means of picking up some tips?

She snorted at the last thought. Of course he wouldn't, she was a crappy dancer.

_Ugh._

She didn't need to think about this. She didn't have to _dwell_ on this. She knew it would only complicate things further. The better- and _only- _thing to do, was to forget about it.

He had seen her; he hadn't seen her. So what?

If he was watching her, she was _sure_ her kitty didn't have any ill intentions. And if he wasn't, she could just assume he was passing by. Since he was patrolling the city, after all.

She needed to give her mind a rest. _She needed to sleep. _She checked the time.

It was quarter past two. A good half hour had _already_ passed during her internal ramblings. She climbed the steps to her bed with a dejected sigh.

As she twisted underneath her covers, she looked upward at her ceiling which was plastered with sheets of moonlight, and tried not to think about Chat Noir.

_At all._

* * *

It was a beautiful, sunny morning.

Unfortunately, Marinette _didn't care._

She was running late! Well, she _was_ late. Most of the time.

But this time, she was very, _very_ late.

Alya had left, like, 30 texts on her phone, and she knew that when she had woken up by the endless _tings _of the notification ring and _not _her alarm, she knew she was in some serious _doo-doo_.

As she shrugged into her shirt and pants at the same time, she tried to tie her hair up in pigtails.

Tikki was watching her, perched upon her desktop, and cocked an eyebrow amusedly.

"Rough night?"

Marinette only struggled. "Yeah, you could say that."

She hadn't told Tikki about the previous night's ordeal. She figured if she wanted to forget about it, she shouldn't chat about it. It wasn't a problem. Although it _did _keep stinging a corner of her mind, she tried to focus on other things. Like, _getting to school on time._

She bounded down the stairs of her attic bedroom and shrugged on her purse and backpack. She grabbed a cookie jar from the table countertop, and stuffed three into her purse for Tikki to snack on. She also stuffed a toast her kind mother had left out for her into her mouth, and headed for the door.

As she bound out of the bakery, her mother who was manning the register, noticed her, and smiled knowingly.

"Bye, Marinette! Be safe!"

"Bye, Maman_ph."_

She managed around the toast in her mouth and briefly twisted to incline her head. She ran into the street and headed for her _lycée. _She'd be _damned_ if class hadn't already ended yet.

* * *

Adrien fidgeted in his seat, adjusting his shirt collar as he did so.

He was anxious.

He wasn't sure why, but he just _was. _He didn't know what he was anticipating, but he just wanted something to _happen._

Or he didn't. He was just stupid like that, sometimes.

He'd be lying if he said he wasn't thinking about the previous night, and he wasn't sure whether to apologize to Marinette or not. His alter ego wasn't overtly familiar with her, and he worried he might scare her by revealing his little stakeout.

Plagg had teasen him about Marinette,- calling her 'his little princess', but he waved it off. Although, the nickname weirdly stuck to him.

_His _little princess.

He blushed furiously. Of course, she wasn't _'his' _anything, and he hastily pushed the thought out of his mind. He glanced at the vacant seat beside him. Nino was running late. It was three minutes till the bell.

As if answering his thoughts, Nino suddenly entered the classroom. He rushed to his seat, peeling of his bag and catching his breath.

Adrien eyed him.

"Hey, man, you okay? You just beat the bell,"

Nino twisted his cap and adjusted his glasses. "Yeah? Yeah, I'm fine. I kinda stayed up all night."

He yawned.

"Doing what?" Adrien pried.

"Been working on a new project. So far, it's being a bitch."

Adrien laughed.

"Heh, well, tell me all about it when it's done, dude."

Nino smiled. "Sure will."

Someone tapped him on the shoulder. Nino twisted back, his face twisting into a grin when he saw who it was. "What's up, Alya?"

Adrien also turned his head.

She was frantically typing on her phone, a worried expression on her face. "Have you seen Marinette? The girl isn't answering my texts, and I've left like 50 of them. She's crazy late. I'll be surprised if she makes the bell."

Nino wrinkled his eyebrows. "I haven't. I'll try texting her."

He twisted back and pulled out his phone.

Adrien gaped at Alya, wondering if Marinette was alright. He spoke up. "I'll try contacting her, too."

Alya smiled at him thankfully. "If it's you, she'll probably pick up in a heartbeat."

Nino snickered under his breath.

Adrien didn't understand what _that_ meant, but he blushed nonetheless.

Just as he was rummaging around his bag for his phone, -"Missing your princess?" Plagg teased, nestled in his bag. "Shut up," Adrien hissed- the doors burst open.

Adrien looked up, startled.

Marinette was standing there, clutching her bag and huffing. Her bangs were in her eyes and strands of her hair were caught in her mouth.

Adrien couldn't understand how someone could look so effortlessly adorable. He heard Alya breath out a sigh of relief.

Marinette trudged towards her desk, looking out of breath. As she passed by his desk, he caught her eye.

_Keep calm, _Adrien told himself, trying not to blush.

He issued her a slow smile, politely holding up a hand in greeting, and she blinked. She sputtered for a moment, then twitched her lips in some semblance of a smile back. He heard her shuffle into her seat.

Alya knit her eyebrows together, eyeing her mess of a friend.

"Where were you, girl? I've been calling _and_ texting you nonstop."

Marinette let out a small breath. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I was in a rush. Forgot to check my phone."

Alya looked at her closely. "Were you busy last night?"

A long second passed before Marinette stuttered hastily. "Yeah. No. Uh. Um, something like that."

Something about her tone was urgent, and Adrien couldn't stop the heat from rising to his cheeks as he instantly remembered her dancing.

"Yeeeeeeaaahhh," Alya drawled, conspicuous.

Marinette waved her off. "It's nothing to worry about. Honest. You know me."

A half- hearted chuckle broke off her last sentence, and Adrien knew instantly that Alya was suspicious.

Suddenly, Mrs. Bustier entered the classroom and Adrien heard Marinette let out a sigh of relief as they all stood up respectfully.

Adrien had an inkling that this was going to be a _long _class, and his thoughts drifted back to that moment that Marinette had smiled that small smile, and his heart skipped a beat.

* * *

Adrien strode out of the classroom; the bell had already rung for lunch. He stood outside the door, waiting for Nino. He was staring blankly at the crowd of people moving in the hallway, bustling and socializing.

His eyes slipped over a familiar mob of bluish- black hair and he spotted Marinette, her arm wound around Alya's. They were at the further end of the hallway. They seemed to be laughing, and he felt tremors in his chest.

_Should I talk to her?_

He _had_ thought about coming clean to her. The guilt was eating him away, and he couldn't stop the jittery feeling he got whenever he looked at her. But, wouldn't she be disappointed? _Scared_, even? He couldn't even comprehend the thought.

He _tch_ed at himself.

This wasn't the time to be thinking pessimistic. He had to figure out a way to apologize to her, that _didn't_ involve her pushing him of the railings of her terrace in fear.

A hand clapped him on the shoulder and Adrien looked back, startled.

Nino was standing there, with his ever-present lop-sided grin plastered on his face.

"What's up, dude? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Adrien solemnly picked Nino's hand off from his shoulder, then shoved his own in his pockets. He started to head down the hallway. Nino jogged to catch up to him.

"I wish that was all I'd saw," Adrien mumbled under his breath.

Nino had a concerned look on his face.

"Hey, man, you okay? You seem a little... out of it."

They had reached the courtyard now, and as they were settling down on a table, Adrien sighed. "I'm okay. It's just, -work's been a little overbearing, lately," Adrien lied.

Nino placed his hand on his friend's shoulder in assurance.

"Dude, take care of yourself. You hear?"

Adrien shrugged his hand off, snickering, and nodded his head. "Yeah, yeah. Thanks."

Nino's eyes went warm behind his glasses. "Hey, tell you what. Let's call the girls over here. Maybe that oughta cheer you up."

Adrien instantly whirled on him, eyes wide.

"Hey, hey, wait-"

He tried stopping Nino, but he had already stood up from his seat and strode over to where Alya and Marinette were sitting. Adrien sighed ,defeated, and settled back into his seat, staring at Nino, who was chatting with Alya and Marinette and motioning towards their table.

He assumed his offer was accepted as soon as Alya gave him a grin and started pulling Marinette along, who was blushing and sputtering for whatever reason. He was eyeing Nino, who was sending a way-too-big smile at Alya. Adrien wondered if Nino _was_ really inviting them for his benefit, rather than his own.

Adrien turned his eyes on Marinette who was walking a little sideways behind them. She had her eyes downcast, and her hand was at her cheek, seemingly holding her hair in place.

And then she looked up, - or peeked, was what it more looked like- and her eyes caught Adrien's and, _God, _Adrien could've died right then and there. She instantly rounded her eyes away from him and stared at her feet, fighting a fierce blush.

Adrien also turned his eyes towards his lap, and pretended to fidget with his phone, trying not too look awkward. It seemed like an eternity had passed before they reached the table.

Adrien looked up, pretending to notice them just then, and greeted them. "Hey, guys."

Alya reciprocated, and Marinette smiled.

They sat down and Marinette squirmed, her hand on her purse.

Alya spoke, eyes twinkling behind her thick-rimmed glasses. "It's been a long time since we all had lunch together."

They all stared at the vacant table.

Nino laughed. "Heh, more like, been a long time just sitting down together since we already finished our lunch."

Marinette pulled her lips between her teeth, and smiled apologetically. Adrien stared at him blankly. Alya just pushed her glasses up. Nino put his hands up, seemingly surrendering. "Okay, okay, guys. No need to be such sore dudes."

Adrien broke into a grin, and Alya waved him off. Marinette was suddenly very interested in the strap of her purse.

Alya suddenly looked at Nino, remembering something. "Didn't you want to tell us something?"

Now, Adrien was curious. Marinette was also leaning forward in her seat.

Nino cleared his throat.

"Hm, well, I got this DJ-ing gig at this party on Saturday, and you're all invited. I'll text you all the location when I get home. And you-" Here he eyed Adrien, eyebrows twitching. "You _have_ to come. Even if I have to break you out of your home."

Adrien grinned. He was _so_ happy for his friend. This was Nino's first gig _ever_, and he was going to be there, _for sure_.

"I'll see what I can do, man. I'll text Nathalie right now, and ask her to clear my schedule for Saturday. I wouldn't miss this for the _world, _dude._"_

Nino smiled widely. "Much appreciated."

Alya wrapped her arms around Nino's waist, her head resting on his shoulder. "I'm _so_ proud of my boyfriend."

Nino blushed lightly, and rested his chin on the crown of her head. "Well, I can't deny that I _am_ that cool."

Adrien went warm looking at them. He had to admit, he was a little envious. Only a _little. _He was mostly happy.

He wanted someone like that too, and his thoughts instantly wandered to Ladybug. But an image of a certain someone _else_ with pigtails appeared in his mind, and he instantly pushed that thought down.

_Not right now, brain._

As if answering his thoughts, Marinette spoke up. She had been quiet for a long time,- only smiling and so, from time to time- and her clear voice cut through the tenseness ringing in his mind. He looked at her.

"What are we supposed to wear? Um, I mean, what kind of party is it?"

Nino directed his gaze at her, his expression switching to that of thoughtfulness. "Uh, I guess it's a casual party. 'S nothing fancy. You could wear whatever."

Marinette lips puckered, forming an 'o', and nodded. Adrien's eyes were instantly drawn to the movement.

"Congrats again, Nino."

Alya twisted out of his embrace, and Nino settled back in his seat, smiling. "Thanks, Marinette."

Alya recalled something, shuddering. "It's this Saturday, right? I gotta find something to wear. If I don't-" She looked at Marinette."-I'll just raid your closet. You _always_ have something."

Marinette laughed, a sweet sound which reverberated inside Adrien's chest. "Feel free. I'll probably be _trashing_ my own closet."

"Oh, I almost forgot," Alya put a finger to her chin. "How will we go there? I'll probably be going with Nino, since he lives nearest to me."

She suddenly turned her head towards Marinette. "Hey, Marinette. Could you carpool with Adrien?"

Marinette sputtered, instantly blushing. "Oh, no- uhm, I don't-"

"It's fine with me."

Marinette turned her eyes on him, surprised. He couldn't blame her. He had surprised _himself_ by cutting her off. But he had felt bold when he saw her turning red, -when he saw her bite her lips.

And he still felt bold now. "I could take you, if it's alright with you?"

He unconsciously leaned forward in his seat, leveling his gaze with hers. He didn't know why, but he felt both amused _and_ breathless when he saw her- or made her - blush. She turned her eyes away from him, and directed them down towards her hands which were resting in her lap, still blushing something fierce.

"Okay," Marinette mumbled, in a tinny voice, and Adrien suddenly realized that he was holding his breath. Alya, who was watching this unfold with a self-satisfied smirk, clapped her hands together and rubbed them.

"So that's settled. How long will the party last?"

Nino laid back in his seat, arms resting behind his head. "Dudes, even _I _don't know. It'll probably end at like two- ish. These parties go out strong, you know."

Adrien blinked.

_Huh._ Could he stay out _that_ late?

"Sorry. My curfew starts at eleven," Marinette sighed. Adrien realized something, and he grinned at her. "Well, then, I guess I'll be _dropping_ you off, too. I suppose I gotta get home by eleven, anyway."

Marinette smiled at him, all traces of her blush gone. "Thanks, Adrien." His throat constricted, and he tried to look anywhere but _her. _He knew he was being immature, but everytime she smiled at him, his brain stopped working.

The ringing bell snapped him out of his reverie. All of them stood up, getting ready to get back to class, and chatting about the test, which was next period.

Meanwhile, Adrien tried not to blush when his shoulder bumped into Marinette's.

* * *

Adrien stood outside the doors of the school, waiting for Gorilla.

He briefly saw Alya and Nino linking hands and walking down the street. He had heard something from Nino that they were going to have an after-school date. Honestly, he was happy for his friend, and he couldn't help but wonder if he would have that kind of connection with someone.

As he shifted his weight onto another foot, he closed his eyes, feeling the breeze that lightly hit him.

But, right now, he had other worries. The first one of them being _how_ he was going to apologize to Marinette. He _had_ thought about chickening out, but he couldn't ignore the part of his brain that felt immensely guilty. Well, she hadn't exactly _seen_ him, so what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her, right?

No, no. He couldn't be so heartless. The only thing left was to figure out was _when_ he was going to apologize to-

"Um, Adrien?"

He turned his eyes, surprised when he saw Marinette standing there, looking up at him. He gulped. "Yes?"

Marinette looked down, wringing her hands. "I just wanted to thank you."

His eyes went wide. "What for?"

"You know, for offering to pick me up for the party..."

He waved it off, laughing. "No, no. It was nothing. What are friends for, right?"

She smiled gratefully at him, eyes crinkling. He suddenly felt like he was drowning. "Thanks."

She said it in a small voice, almost soft, but her tone was confident. He shot down his blush, and grinned at her. "No problem. Oh yeah, um, when do you want me to pick you up?"

Marinette blinked. "Uh, I'll- I'll text you."

Now, he really_ did_ feel like gasping for his breath. That meek tone of hers was basically _inviting_ him to do something he didn't want to do. Or, atleast, he thought so.

He smiled instead.

He heard a honk, and he looked back to see Gorilla, standing at the rear of the car.

He sighed. "Well, that's me. See you." He waved at her as he ran to the car and settled himself into the seat, and Gorrilla closed the door on him. When he looked at the rear-view mirror, he saw Marinette, still standing there, waving at his moving car, her expression of longing.

A jolt surged through his chest, and he thumped his head back on his seat, sighing. He decided.

Chat Noir was going to visit her _tonight_.

_~End Chp. 1~_


	2. Chapter 2: Don't Apologize

**Chapter 2: Don't Apologize**

Marinette was _floating_. Adrien was _actually_ taking her to the party. Him, Adrien, he was taking _her _to the party!

She was still in shock. As she closed the trapdoor behind her and entered into her room, she shuddered. Hot showers were the _best, _but they only came second to Adrien.

She tied a robe around her waist and toweled her hair dry.

She felt giddy beyond all measure. She jumped up and down a little, then spotted Tikki, who was carrying a blowdryer over to her and exclaimed, "Tikki! Oh, my gosh! Can you believe it?"

Tikki struggled, and Marinette graciously accepted the blowdryer from her.

She huffed out her breath. "I can, actually. You're just that amazing, Marinette."

Marinette smiled at her, and switched the blowdryer on. The sound of whirring slowly filled the room, and Marinette hummed. Days like these were the best. Days where she felt uncontented happiness.

The promise of something great happening was a great feeling for Marinette, and she _relished_ in it every chance she got. She hummed a simple tune, and Tikki floated down to sit on her lap, her eyes drooping and sleepy.

The atmosphere in her room was calm and content. She had a great day and, now, she was going to have an equally great sleep. Sure, the day had gone off to a crappy start, but that didn't mean it should _end_ the same way, should it?

She clicked the blowdryer off, and fluffed her hair. She lightly snickered while picking up Tikki from her lap. "Up you go."

She carried her over to the spare pillow she kept beside her bed, which served as Tikki's bed, and gently laid her on top of it. Tikki groaned, then curled in on herself. Marinette gently smiled while stroking her sleeping head, before standing up to change her clothes.

She had already laid them out on her chaise and, as she climbed down the steps of her bed, she thought about Adrien and slowly smiled as his gleaming, handsome face appeared in her mind's eye.

She was sliding off her robe, ready to shrug into her pajama bottoms, when she heard a noise. She stilled, immediately covering herself again, before looking up. The noise had come from above her room, which meant someone was on her terrace. Or something.

She knew that her terrace was high enough to avoid the possiblity of any straggling cats to take refuge there. So she went with the former possible reason, albeit a little shakily.

Tikki had woken up, and was staring at her with wide, startled eyes. As Marinette moved forward, she signaled her to hide. Tikki hesitated for a moment, before flying down to hide in one of Marinette's drawers. ]

She tried to calm herself down by taking deep breaths as she climbed the steps up to her bed. She stood up on her bed and stared at the trapdoor, waiting for any other kind of noise.

Instead, she heard a knock. She stared confusedly at the trapdoor, remaining deathly quiet.

Another knock. She felt compelled to respond but stayed quiet for another moment.

Then came another knock, and Marinette sucked in a breath. She brushed her away from her face, and resolved her posture as she pressed her ear up to the trapdoor.

She breathed out shakily. "Who is it?"

A long second passed before she heard a voice. "Marinette, it's- uh, it's Chat Noir."

She suddenly felt like passing out. _What was Chat Noir doing here?_

She stilled when she recalled the previous night.

_But, could he be here because...?_

She shook her head. That was such a silly reason. He wouldn't _surely _be here because of that.

_Or would he?_

Her brain was currently doing her the gracious favor of _not working_. She shook out her whole body before thinking that whatever reason he was here for, she would only find out if she talked to him. And, she was going to do just that.

She slowly pushed up the trapdoor and poked her head out.

As expected, Chat Noir was standing there, his lip stressed between his teeth, and determination etched across his face.

He noticed her and immediately bent down to clasp her hand, pulling her up on to the terrace. She let go of his hand, and grasped at the hems of her sleeves, staring up at him expectantly.

He cleared his throat. "Um, you're probably wondering why I'm here."

She narrowed her eyes conspicuously. "Yes. I am."

His demeanor looked quite different from his usual flirty self, Marinette noticed. When he didn't respond, she leaned forward a little.

"Chat, is something wrong? You look worried."

Chat only stepped away, folding his arms. Marinette frowned. This wasn't right. Something was off about her kitty.

"Uh, I- I have to confess something. To you, I mean."

Marinette widened her eyes, her mind wandering to the previous night, and the clench in her heart she had felt when she noticed him leaping away.

She kept her face neutral and curious. "And? Is this about me?"

Chat nodded slowly.

Marinette was officially _freaking out. _Suddenly, her theory seemed that much more plausible.

She feigned curiosity, her mind bursting inside. "What is it?"

He looked at her, mask wrinkling as he probably frowned underneath his messy bangs.

"Marinette, I have to apologize to you."

Marinette folded her arms, a frown alighting her face. "What for?"

He took a deep breath, and continued. "Last night, uh, I saw you. Dancing, while I was patrolling. I continued to breach your privacy several minutes after that and, for that, I am truly and terribly sorry."

He finished in a shaky breath, and he bowed. His hands were fidgeting behind his back.

Marinette took a step back.

_What._

_Wow, ok. I was _right_. Huh._

_Wait, what did he just-_

The reality of the situation suddenly came crashing down upon her, and she flushed down to her toes, her mouth agape. She was trying to speak, but her mouth wouldn't move. She was frozen and she suddenly didn't remember how to breathe.

Chat Noir looked up, curious because of the silence.

"Um, Princess? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

Marinette only stuttered, reddening even more. "Uh, I- I, um. Nothing. Nothing's wrong. Wh-why would you think s-something's wrong?"

_Don't faint, don't faint, don't faint, don't faint, don't faint-_

She had her head down, and her hair was covering her face. Chat Noir raised an eyebrow.

He reached his hand out to brush her away, forcing her to look him in the eye. She instantly cringed due to the inforced contact.

"Princess, I understand. What I did was wrong. I'm a terrible person. I'm sorry."

He bitterly ended his sentence, and pulled away from her. He turned and pulled out his baton, extending it.

"Uh, I should go-"

She looked up, eyes wide.

She instantly reached out to clasp his shoulder and pulled him back. But, she accidentally pulled him back with more force than necessary, and he crashed into her.

She froze, her face smushed into his chest, her arms on either side of him.

_How did I get myself into this?_

She tried to conjure up some strength in her arms, and pushed him back, blushing profusely.

He was looking down at her, equally as startled and flustered as her.

She recalled his recent words, how he had called himself a terrible person and, suddenly, she found her voice.

She looked up, determined. "Chat, no. Please don't say that. I know you wouldn't ever incriminate me in any sort of way. I know you're a good person,"

Her eyes softened, and she smiled gently at him. "And I hope you know that, too."

She noticed that it took him atleast a second to react. But, nonetheless, she stiffened when he suddenly pulled her in, his head buried in her hair. She noticed that he was trembling and, after a moment's contemplation, she wound her arms around his shoulders, comforting him.

"Thank you," She heard him whisper into her hair.

She felt light-headed and dizzy, but she still found enough strength in herself to whisper back. "No problem."

She felt him smile into her hair. They stayed like that for several seconds, both comforted by each others presence. Slowly, Marinette pushed him back and looked up at him.

His eyes were half-closed and he was staring at her with some raw emotion. She suddenly felt the weight which was bearing down upon them and hastily stepped back, smiling to thaw out any sort of awkwardness.

She wound her robe tightly around her shoulders, feeling chilly. She peeked at him through the curtain of hair covering her face as the wind blew in slow torrents, and wondered.

"Chat, actually, I _also_ have something to confess."

She felt him staring at her, eyes lifted in curiosity. "What is it?"

She smiled at him slyly, filing away the expression he gave when he saw her face in her mind. "I already knew."

He gaped. "Huh?"

She hunched up her shoulders, giving a shrug. "I saw you that night. After I had turned off the music, I looked out the window and saw you leaping away."

His face flickered through a million different expressions before settling on one. Embarassment. She laughed, feeling a cheeriness bubble up in her chest at catching sight of his adorable, sheepish expression.

His eyes widened more at hearing her laugh, and he pouted. "Princess, I did _not_ have you pegged for being that sort of person."

She stilled, still snickering lightly. "What sort?"

Chat Noir bunched up his shoulders and feigned exasperation. "Why, Princess, you peeped on me!"

Marinette laughed out loud. "Kitty, I think you're reversing the roles here."

He ignored her and went on, waggling his eyebrows playfully. "Oh! But don't worry. I'll forgive you."

Marinette played along, smiling as if she would break into a fit of laughs at any moment. "Gosh, I don't know what I would've done!"

Chat smiled at her cheekily. "Well, I _do_ have an idea."

She shoved him away lightly, and they both laughed. She caught her breath, huffing, her cheeks still red. "Chat... I think... you should go."

He was also recovering from the fit of laughter. "You're right."

She stood back and watched him take out his baton once again and extend it. He perched himself ontop of the railing and looked back at her, his eyes full of promise. "Princess?"

She rubbed her hands, blowing at them. "Hm?"

"Can I come back again?"

She stiffened and looked at him in surprise. But, when she saw those emerald green eyes twinkling in the moonlight with a certain type of attachment, every last bit of her resolve crippled.

"Of course." She smiled. He smiled back, and her heart thudded in her chest.

"Goodbye, Princess." He leaped off the railing, giving her a two- fingered salute.

"Bye, Kitty," She whispered underneath her breath, captivated by the sight of his form jumping across roofs. She stood there until he was no longer visible underneath the moonlight. She sighed, closing her eyes. She felt her breath puff out, and she looked at it until it dissipated into the air.

She wondered if winter was going to come early this year, and wondered if Chat Noir felt the same way as she closed the trapdoor behind her and crumpled on her bed, not bothering to change into her night clothes.

* * *

Adrien called off his transformation and fell backwards on his bed, sighing. He covered his eyes with his arms, groaning. He turned to his side and let his legs hang towards the ground. He sighed again.

Plagg raised an eyebrow and floated over to his face. "Hey, kid. Did somebody die or something?"

He then smirked, eyes twinkling and whiskers twitching. "Missing your princess?"

Adrien glared at him and swatted him away. "Or something."

Plagg folded his arms. "Well, if you don't wanna talk, don't. Atleast tell me where the camembert is.

Adrien pointed in a direction thataway. "It's in the drawer."

Plagg instantly brightened and floated over to where the drawer was, vocally expressing his love for the smelly cheese.

Meanwhile, Adrien tossed and turned on his bed as his mind instantly wandered over to Marinette. He _still_ couldn't believe that she had already known that he had been there, spying on her. His whole apology suddenly seemed very embarrassing.

He remembered how she had vehemently denied Alya that she hadn't been busy the said previous night and he blushed.

He recalled how her body had been so warm when he hugged her, and how her hair had been a little wet. He wondered if she had just gotten out of the shower when he had paid her his impromptu visit, judging by her robe and loose hair.

She looked good with loose hair. Not that she didn't look cute already with pigtails but, something about her, with her hair open and loose just made her look... vulnerable.

He opened his eyes and stared at the cold, gray ceiling of his room and remembered how her hair had tickled him a little in the face when he had pressed her close, and how her robe had felt fuzzy when he had flattened his hands against the small of her back.

He remembered how her cheeks had been flushed when she had looked up at him. He remembered her gentle smile and how soft she looked when she had called him a good person.

He closed his eyes and pressed his face into his pillow and fisted his bed sheets. He remembered everything; desperate not to forget a detail of her face.

He had _actually_ asked if he could come back again. And she had said 'yes'! He couldn't believe it! Then again, he couldn't believe that she had actually forgiven him.

He sighed and flexed his hand. It had gotten late. He turned his head and stared out the large window covering his wall and into the night sky, which was littered with stars. Shimmering and glistening, like her eyes had been.

He pressed his pillow into his face with a little more force, agitated with himself.

He didn't understand the thumping of his chest whenever he recalled even a fragment of her smile. He didn't understand the momentary loss of breath he had whenever he watched her face morph into something delightful. He didn't understand the urge to press her close whenever he saw her eyes soften, her lips parten.

He released the pillow and exhaled a breath. He didn't understand himself. He liked Ladybug! He was supposed to feel these emotions _for_ Ladybug!

But, in a corner of his mind, he couldn't help but wonder how it all had felt so _right, _how _she_ had felt so right.

He wondered if he had a thing for girls with blue eyes and pigtails.

He groaned, thumping his forehead against the headboard of hs bed. He was tired. He slowly pressed himself into his sheets, letting his eyes droop close.

He recalled how she had pressed into herself when he had let her go, and how she had warmed her hands by blowing on them, and wondered if winter was coming early this year.

* * *

Marinette woke up in a daze the next morning.

She rubbed her eyes confusedly and eyed the robe in which she had slept. Her hair was a mess. She stepped of her bed and groaned, rubbing her back. She yawned while looking around her room, spotting her pajamas laid out on the chaise. She slowly picked them up and shoved them into the closet.

It seemed that the night went by like a dream, as she recalled the slowly resurfacing memories, dimly. All of it suddenly came back in a rush, and she gasped.

_Of course._

Ah, had she seriously given him permission to come back again? She groaned and buried her face in her hands. What if he came tonight? There wasn't much she could do, she _had_ given him permission after all.

She sighed and pulled off her robe. She eyed it and frowned, recalling how he had pressed his face into her hair. She closed her eyes and tried not to think about him too much.

She saw something move in her peripherals as she shrugged on her t shirt, and saw Tikki floating up, sleepily rubbing her eyes.

"You're up early," She said groggily.

"Well, I guess I learned my lesson from last time," Marinette smiled apologetically.

Tikki paused and seemed to recall something. "How did it go with Chat Noir?" Marinette freezed in the act of pulling up her jeans and sputtered, clearly flustered.

"Fine. It went fine. H-how do you think it went?"

Tikki narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Come to think of it, why was he here anyway?"

Tikki was asking a _lot _of questions this morning. Marinette wrinkled her eyebrows in frustration. "He was here to apologize."

Tikki widened her eyes. "Huh? What did he do? Did he do something to you?

"It was something about 'breaching my privacy', I don't know. I forgave him. Whatever. It's in the past, anyway," Marinette said, feigning nonchalance.

Tikki furrowed her brows in thought. "Chat Noir's surprisingly considerate."

"Annoyingly so," Marinette muttered under her breath. Tikki hummed. Marinette fidgeted, recalling something.

"Um, also, I kinda, _sorta_, gave him permission to come back. Again."

Tikki bristled, exclaiming. "Wha- Marinette, that's reckless!"

Marinette retorted in defense. "But, he asked so innocently! He seemed so lonely."

Tikki put her fingers up to her temples, tutting in disapproval. "You _know_ he can't discover your identity. And, inviting him to your own _house_ is doing just that."

"He won't. He doesn't suspect a thing." Marinette assured her. Tikki seemed to calm down after hearing her resolute words, muttering under her breath every now and then.

Marinette heard a clack downstairs, then a voice. It was her mother. "Marinette! Breakfast's ready!"

"Coming, Maman!"

Marinette looked back at her kwami and smiled. "Come on, let's go." She opened the clasp of her purse invitingly and, after a moment, Tikki flew into it. Marinette closed her purse, grabbed her bag and phone, and ran down the steps of her room.

Her mother was rustling in the kitchen, and noticed her after hearing her thudding steps.

Marinette pulled out a chair and sat on it, folding her arms on the countertop. Her mother laid out a plate of pancakes in front of her and, after smiling at her mother gratefully, she dug into it.

Her mother smiled at her affectionately. "This is rare."

Marinette looked up, confused. "What is?"

"You waking up this early."

Marinette smiled at her in discomfort. _Why does everybody think it's so weird?_

"Guess I had a good sleep last night," Marinette shrugged.

Her mother gave her a wink and smiled, turning her back and flipping a new batch of pancakes on the stove. "Guess so."

Marinette raised her eyebrow at her mother's unusual behaviour, than jumped as her phone suddenly chimed.

She opened it and furrowed her brow as she read the text sent by Alya. It seemed that something was going on at school. The text was vague. It just told her to 'come to school quick'.

Marinette pocketed her phone and put down her fork. She hastily shouldered her bag, grabbed her scarf and wrapped it around her neck, and kissed her mother on the cheek before running out the door.

The last thing she heard before the click of the door was: "Be careful, Marinette!"

She ran down the stairs, hoping, and wondering, that whatever had happened, it wasn't an _akuma_.

* * *

It was an akuma.

Adrien ran into the courtyard of the school and stared up at the onslaught of debris which was being hurtled their way. A lot of students were clearing out of the school.

He quivered as one rock nearly scratched him on the arm. He looked around, trying to find a place to transform, and he spotted Nino standing dangerously close to the 'danger zone'. He ran towards him and tackled him down on the ground as a big rock came flying and smashed into the wall behind them, passing exactly the same spot where Nino had been standing.

Nino's glasses cracked slightly and he gasped. Adrien apologized as he stood up, giving him a hand.

Nino brushed down his clothes, grinning. "No way, dude. Woah. That was _awesome. _Thanks."

Adrien accepted his thankfulness with a smile. "Yeah, well, you should be getting out of here."

Nino raised an eyebrow. "What? You ain't coming?"

Adrien faltered at his question. "Yeah, uh- I left something. In class. I gotta go get it."

Nino's expression became concerned. "Hey, man, i don't think- I mean, this akuma look's pretty dangero-"

Adrien drowned him out and started running towards the stairs. He bounded up and stared at the crowd of students in his peripherals, already dissipating from the scene of the attack. He sighed in relief as he ran into a random, empty classroom. He closed the door behind him and turned, already unzipping his bag.

Plagg flew out, looking tired as he clutched a cube of camembert to his body. "Just say the words, kid."

Adrien nodded and extended his hand. "Plagg, claws out!"

* * *

_Great. _Just _great._

It _had _to be an akuma. Now her morning was ruined. And she had woken up early, too.

She ran into the school, pausing to scan the casualties. There weren't any straggling students, and she assumed they had already cleared out.

She _wished_ that Alya had been a _little_ specific in her text and told her that it was an akuma. However, she wasn't sure why she had even called her to the school but, considering her 'reporter tendencies', it was weirdly normal. But, at the moment, Marinette couldn't find her anywhere. She figured she had already left, hopefully with Adrien, Nino, and the rest of the class.

Tikki tugged on her shirt and she looked down. "Marinette, come on."

Marinette nodded and ran further into the courtyard to find a place to transform.

However, there was one thing stopping her.

She stared up at the huge boulder which had suddenly _deposited_ itself infront of her. She strained to look further up, and saw someone standing ontop of it. She stepped away from it and started running in the opposite direction.

_Oh, god, please no. Atleast let me transform-_

The boulder suddenly came around to halt her in her steps again. She frowned at it, then shuddered as the ground quavered. She stared as the boulder suddenly _descended_, almost decreasing in size.

The person standing ontop considered her with careful eyes, perched just two inches above Marinette's eye level.

She was wearing a bright green jumpsuit with an orange choker around her neck. She seemed pretty normal, except for her light pink skin. Marinette considered her, spotting a plain notebook in her hand.

She looked familiar. She wasn't a student, and Marinette wondered if she was a teacher there at the school. The akuma narrowed her eyes, than smirked devilishly.

"You're a pretty girl. Dainty, fragile- just what I need." Marinette stared at her in confusion. "Um, thanks-"

She stopped as she saw her finger extend, turning pointy -almost like the nib of a pen-, and she trembled as the sky suddenly turned gray.

Marinette felt like she was drowning as she saw everything move in slow motion. She gaped at the akuma, still jotting something down on her notepad. She reached out to slap her hand away from the notepad, but someone beat her to it.

She turned around to look back and saw Chat Noir standing ways behind her, clutching his baton and smiling cheekily.

"Can't deny that."

Marinette blushed at his words, recognizing them as a retort to the akuma's comment. The akuma was quick on her step as she suddenly moved forward to grab Marinette but Chat shot out, tackling Marinette around the waist and jumping over the akuma's head.

Marinette hastily wrapped her arms around his neck, staring wide eyed back at the akuma as it chased them. "Chat-"

"Don't worry, Princess. I'll take you to a safe place." Chat tightened his jaw.

"No, Chat, look out!"

Chat halted as a huge rock crashed into their path. Chat pressed Marinette closer into his chest and broke out into a full run, jumping on rooftops, maneuvering his way around the thousand rocks which obstructed his way.

Soon, the rocks stopped coming and Marinette breathed a sigh, loosening her grip around Chat's shoulders.

He touched down on a secluded rooftop, pausing to let Marinette step out of his arms. He scanned the area then deamed it to be safe, not noticing any boulders or rocks. A slight breeze flew out and Marinette's scarf flew open. She gathered it around her neck again, shivering.

Chat smiled. "That's a pretty scarf, Princess."

Marinette smiled at him softly. "Thanks, Chat. For saving me."

"Anytime." Chat turned, extending his baton. He turned back for a brief moment, and gave her a sincere smile. She flushed underneath his gaze.

"Stay safe, Princess. I'll come back to get you." And, with that, he jumped out into the open, seemingly flying above the buildings. Marinette stilled while staring at his form waver underneath the bright morning sunlight, feeling a familiar sensation, as if staring out a balcony.

She turned back, opening the clasp of her purse. Tikki flew out, surprise evident on her face.

Marinette tightened her jaw. "We can't wait for Chat, Tikki."

Tikki faltered for a moment. "You're right. But what if he comes back?"

Marinette knit her eyebrows. "I'll make up some excuse."

Tikki stared at her, concern etched on her face, and Marinette called on her transformation. After the brief explosion of red light, she stood in her spot covered bodysuit, staring out into the open, glimpsing a fleeting explosion of dust in the distance. She whipped out her yo-yo and pulled her body forward.

As she felt the wind hitting her face, her feet fluttering across the concrete surfaces, she set her face in determination.

* * *

Chat Noir smacked the akuma in the face with his baton, halting to survey the akuma's painful expression.

_Where was Ladybug?_

The akuma had surfaced a long time ago, and Ladybug was mostly the first one to respond to attacks.

He dodged another rock which was hurtled his way.

The akuma was constantly blabbing about being undermined, underappreciated and unrecognized. It _also_ seemed to be turning civilians into specific characters or personas she thought best fit them.

And, now, they were walking around like zombies, constantly groaning and moaning about finding 'their story'.

Chat Noir parried a hit, and punched her in the face.

She fell down on the ground hard. She stood up, sneering at him. "You know, you'll make a _perfect _villain."

Chat felt oddly insulted. He was just about to retort back when he stopped, attention caught, when the wind suddenly changed colour and her finger morphed into a pen, touching her notepad.

Chat Noir stepped forward to smack her notepad away, but everything was moving in slow motion. The akuma was busy jotting down on her notepad, and Chat felt like gasping for breath. He wondered for a moment if this was what Marinette had felt, and his anger flared.

Suddenly he saw something wrapp around the akuma's notebook, and it was yanked out of her hands. The atmosphere slowly came back to normal, and the wind became lively again.

Chat took the opportunity and instantly striked her in the face with his baton and she fell down on the ground, groaning. Chat looked up and saw Ladybug standing on a nearby rooftop, looking radiant as the wind blew her hair away from her face.

Ladybug smirked at his dumbfound expression and threw down the notebook. Chat Noir caught it, summoning his special power. He cataclysmed it, gazing up as a black butterfly fluttered up into the sky.

Ladybug touched down beside him and caught the butterfly, cleansing the city from the inflicted damage. Chat stepped back to observing the city, looking like it had never been attacked by rock tornadoes.

The lady groaned, sitting up in confusion, and wondered aloud. "What am I doing here?" Meanwhile, Ladybug and Chat Noir celebrated their success with a fistbump.

Ladybug pulled back, snickering. "That was easy. I didn't even have to use the lucky charm."

Chat eyed her. "Huh. Where _were_ you, my lady?"

Ladybug stuttered. "O-oh, I was held up. At school."

Chat narrowed his eyes. "Hmm." Ladybug instantly realized that she had let a slip up, and she hastily changed the subject.

"Well, looks like you did a good job here, kitty."

Chat instantly brightened at the compliment. "The drive to see you kept me going, my lady."

Ladybug waved him off, turning to look at the horde of press and media approaching them, huddled with mics. Chat's ring beeped and he looked down at his hand, remembering something.

Ladybug turned towards him. "You can go. I'll be in charge of damage control."

"No, Ladybug, it's Marinette. I left her stranded on a building. I have to take her back."

Ladybug had moved toward the akuma victim to tend to her, and she stared back at him, surprised at the sudden worry which appeared on his face.

"Kitty, you can go. You're running out of time. I already took her home."

Chat looked at her with amazement and affection. "Seriously, my lady? Thank you!"

Ladybug was stunned. Chat Noir's ring beeped again, and he realized he had only three minutes left before he changed back. He waved farewell to the female heroine sitting flushed beside the victim and he took off, leaving her to give a word to the press.

As he leaped on rooftops he remembered Marinette's smile, and he had a sudden urge to go and see her again. He halted at a rooftop, feeling his arm bump into his side as he stared out into the sun, the wind blowing his bangs away from his eyes.

Yup. He couldn't _wait_ to see her.

_~End Chp. 2~_


End file.
